Life-saving device.



AW. LINDEMANN.

LIFE sAvING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.15, I9I5.

lylsg. Patented June 8,1915.-

I y Wolfe? lndemonn q/vi/Imwoo QMWW n .I mow @ww/ THE NORRIS PETERS COYPHOTD-LITHO.. WASHINGTON, D4 C.:

WALTER LINDEMANN, or DETROIT, MICHIGAN.y

LIFE-SAYING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters lPatent.

Patented J une 8, 1915.

Application inea February 15,1915. serial No.l 8,142.

To all whom 'it may concern v Be it known that I, WALTER LINDEMANN, acitizen of the United States of America, residing at Detroit, in thecounty of Wayne and btate of Michigan, have invented c ertain new anduseful improvements in L ife- Saving Devices, of which the following 1sa specification, reference being had therein to the accompanyingdrawings.

This invention relates to a life saving device, and the primary objectof my invention is to provide a novel device that can conveniently formpart of the berth of a room of a vessel, the deviceoccupyingcomparatively small space and at all ltimes being within easyreach of the occupants of a room should an vaccident occur necessitatingimmediate use of the device. y

Another object of this invention is to provide a life saving device thatis in the form of a small float of suflicient buoyancy to maintain aperson in a comfortable position and lend assistance to othersoverboard.

A further object of my invention is to furnish a life saving device ofthe above type with liquid and food storage means, a signal mast andmeans for illuminating .the same at night.

A still further object of this invention is to accomplish the aboveresults by a simple, durable and inexpensive boat equipment that can beeasily and quickly placed in commission to effectually serve as a lifesaver.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention resides in the'novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts to behereinafter specifically described and then claimed.

Reference will now be had to the drawing, wherein Figure 1 is aperspective view of the life saving device as it would appear whenactually in use; Fig. 2 is a plan of the life saving device as formingpart of a berth; body closure and cover removed; Fig. 3 is alongitudinal sectional view of the same with portions of the life savingdevice extended; F igpf is a cross sectional view of the same showingportions of the life saving device in a retracted position; Fig. 5 is anelevation of a sectional signal mast adapted to form part of the lifesaving device; Fig. 6 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of anelectrical connection electrical connection established between the mastand a socket provided therefor in the life saving device.

A life saving device in accordance with this invention comprises arectangular and comparatively flat casing having a front wall l,longitudinal side walls 2, a rear wall 3, and a bottom plate 4, saidbottom plate having a rear extension or tail 5 adapted to support an endof a box mattress 6, which cooperates with the casing in forming thebottom of a berth or a mattress therefor. The entire device has the endsand sides thereof supported, as at 7 and when the life saving device isto be used, the box mattress 6 is discarded. l/Vith the life savingdevice forming the foot of the box mattress, it occupies a comparativelysmall space and easy access is had thereto in case of an accident.

The casing is made of light and durable material, as cypress wood, andis covered with a water proof cloth 8 or nished whereby the joints ofthe casing are water and air tight. The casing is provided withtransverse partitions 9 and longitudinal partitions 10, said partitionsproviding compartments 11 at the ends and sides of the casing for corkor other buoyant material. The partition `also provides storagecompartments 12 at the sides of the casing in which` the necessities oflife can be placed and easy access is had to these storage compartmentsbythe occupants of the life saving device through the medium of openings13 in the partitions 10 of the casing.

Additional partitions 14, 15 and 16 are installed, the partition 1:1cooperating with the longitudinal and transverse partition in providinga compartment for a water tank 17 which has a filling opening 18 that isnormally closed.

The partition 15 coperates with longitudinal partitions 10 and the rearwall 3 of the casing in forming another compartment 19 for cork or abuoyantmaterial.

The partition 16 coperates with the partition 15 and one of thetransverse partitions 9 in forming a battery compartment for batterycells 20l and the purpose of these provide a central compartment andmounted in this compartment is a cylindrical shell 21 constitutingaswell for the limbs of a person seated upon a seat 22 forming the topof the battery compartment. The sides of the well are cut away wherebyeasy access can be had to the openings 13 of the storage compartments12.

The lower end of the shell 21 is provided with a bellows or iiexibleclosure 23 having a Hat circular rigid bottom plate 24 provided withcontainers 25 adapted to holdcans of food and as thefood -is consumed,the containers 25 canrbe rearranged ory the cans `iilled with water ,tov.maintain thelife saving-device. on even keel. l/Vhen the life savingdevice is not in use, the `flexible closure `23 lis held within theshell 21, as best shownin AF ig. 4, by acleat 26 pivoted upon thelbottom of the bottom plate 4. By swinging the cleat clear of the bottomplate 24, the closure 23 islowered to accommodate the feetofa personupon the seat 22.

AThe top of the casing is provided with an opening 27 .l and connectedto the marginaledges of the top opening isa flexible -watertight body`closure 28 4provided with a draw string 29 or other fastening device.which permitsof the open endof a closure beinggathered arounda personunder the armpits, as shown in ig. 1, thereby inclosing the greaterportion ofthe body and .leaving the arms free lto use a paddle or assistina rescue. At opportune times the body closure 2S can be opened andfood obtained and in order that water can be easily obtained from thetank or reservoir 17, a drinking tube 30 is connected to said tank or`reservoir. l/Vhen the body closure 28 is-not in use it is retained inthe casing by a cover 44, shown in Fig. 4.

The casing has a plurality of flexible ladders orhand grips 31 adaptedto support or assist persons in water at the sides of the life savingdevice.

The top of the casing at one side thereof, has a Alongitudinalcompartment 32 for a signal mast, and at the other side of the casing isa socket 33 adapted to hold the mast inl an upright position when inuse. Thesectionalmast comprises tubular sections.' 34 and 35 adapted tobe connected together somewhat similar to the sections of a.l fishingrod. The lower end of the section 34 has a contact piece 36 adapted toengage a resilient contact piece 37 in the socket y33. lThe resilientcontact piece 37 and the socket 33 are in circuit with the battery cells20, and the contact piece 36 of the section 34 is connected byva wire 33to a resilient contact piece 39 in the upper end of the section 34. Thisresilient contact piece is adapted to be engaged by a contact piece 40in the lower end of the section 35, and a wire 41 extends throughout thesection 35 to an incandescent lamp 42 at the upper end of said section.rlChe return circuit vis made through the sections 35, 34 and the socket33, and suitable insulation is used to insure a circuit when the mast isin L clothes it .is practically L.impossibile to vdetect that the lifesavingkdevice forms lpart of a berth.

The arrangement of the shell 21 within the casing provides small storagecompartments 45 and thearea of these compart- `,n nentsand thecompartments 12 is suiiicient tohhold, articles and flood to .maintainlife `for a considerable` time.

It Vis thought that kthe utility of the life saving device willberapparent without further descriptionand while in the drawing there isillustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to beunderstood that the vstructural elements are susceptible to suchchanges, asin the size, shape and manner of assemblage as vfall withinthe scope ofthe appended claims.

l/Vhat 1 claim is 1. A life saving device comprising a casing adapted toform part of a berth mattress, said casing having compartments formedtherein, body and limb closures carriedrby said casing and adapted toinclose the greater portion of the body seated upon said casing, a coveradapted to retain the body closure in said casing when not in use, apivoted cleat adapted to retain the limb closure in said casing when notin use, a reservoir forming part of said casing and having a drinkingtube extending into one of said closures, and a sectional mast carriedby said casing.

2. A life saving device comprising a casing, said casing havingcompartments formed therein, a well centrallv of said casing and havingwalls thereof provided with openings in communication with the casingcompartments, flexible body and limb closures at the upper and lowerends of said well and adapted to inclose the greater1 part of a bodyseated upon said casing, and flexible ladders at the sides of saidcasing.

3. A life saving device comprising a water proof casing, said casinghaving com partments formed therein, a shell centrally of said casingproviding a well, a flexible body closure' at the upper end ofsaid well,a flexible limb closure at the lower end of the Well of said casing andfoldable therein, In testiiony whereof I aiix my signature said flexiblelimb closure having a flat botin presence of two Witnesses.

tom provided With containers, and means WALTER -LIND'EMANNl formaintaining said closures Within the Witnesses:

Well of said easing When the life saving de- ANNA M. DoRR,

vice is not in use. LEWIS E. FLANDER'S.

Copies of this patentmay 'ne obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

